Sigma DP1 - First Impressions

[jeffrey_goggin3]

I stand corrected: Further testing this morning shows the Extreme III card <i>is</i> quicker than an Ultra II card by just over a second when writing a RAW file ... i.e., ~7.8 seconds from the time the shutter is pushed fully until the red LED on the back stops blinking versus ~9.1 seconds. Either way, this still seems fairly pokey to me...

[jim_boutilier]

I have found this discussion very interesting and informative. I own a number of

DSLR's, P&S's (including a G9) and most recently purchased a DP1.

 

DP1 reviews are pretty consistent in both its praise and criticism (although they vary

in degree or extent). I was a bit nervous ordering a DP1 as the criticism seems to

far outweigh the praise.

 

But after a week or so of playing with the DP1 I am very impressed. Its not perfect

for sure (I have yet to find a perfect camera in my 30 years of photography), but its

quite a accomplishment when you look at the technical difficulties involved.

 

Speed was my biggest worry. The DP1 does not fare very well against compact

models like the G9 in this area. But for those that time it against a DSLR using Live

View, it suddenly seems much better (in speed and performance).

 

Its build quality, size, weight, and simplicity are very compelling to me. My only real disappointments are low light focus performance and the quality of the LCD display.

 

Suggestions to Sigma for easy Firmware updates:

a) Make more of your buttons programmable. For instance in shooting mode I

expect very few people ise digital zoom, but if I could program those buttons to

control aperture or shutter or exposure compensation or flash exposure

compensation, or ISO, or WB, etc, it would be very helpful.

b) Add a menu setting that turns on manual focus image magnification with a half

press of the shutter, so an extra button press is not always required.

c) Allow a user to select the order of menu options or the ones they want to see on

the first menu screen so users can quickly get to the things they change the most.

 

Harder things I'd like to see changed:

- Improve LCD quality

- Improve low light auto focus performance

- Improve flash accuracy, power, and speed

- Improve buffering to allow camera use when writing buffer and offer JPG+RAW

 

 

So kudos to Sigma for a terrific first effort in this area. I think the DP1 will quickly

become a sought after classic for those that appreciate its capabilities.

[craig_nieder]

I think what we're seeing here is a hard fought battle for what enthusiasts and

professionals are willing to concede in a compact. For some, image quality is

paramount, and they will endure considerable obstacles to achieve it. For others,

image quality is important, but not enough to overlook portability and speed--the hallmarks of a good

compact camera. I

happen to fall into the latter camp.

 

The Sigma is a great first effort in a new arena. It's not going to be perfect. It's a

tough niche to fill technically. For me, the price point and the negatives are too high

to ignore. This is a beta test, and I can't lay down $800 for a beta test. Sounds

sacrilegious, but the winner in this new category will be the one who realizes it

needs to be a compact camera first, a stellar image capturing machine second.